Paired with a robust red wine, this hearty soup will warm your soul on a dark winter’s night. Leftovers are welcome, and the soup tastes even better the second day and can be prepared up to four days in advance. You will probably need additional stock as the beans and pasta absorb liquid. The recipe can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the pancetta or bacon and swapping vegetable stock for chicken stock.

Winter Minestrone

Serves 8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1½ hours

1 cup (250 milliliters) Umbrian or other small dark lentils
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) olive oil
1/2 cup (160 grams) diced pancetta or bacon (omit for vegetarian)
1 each, carrot, celery, small yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
6 cups (1.4-1.8 liters) chicken stock (vegetable stock for vegetarian), additional as needed
14 ounces (240 grams) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) each: fresh rosemary, oregano, parsley, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) each: red pepper flakes and ground black pepper
1 bunch Italian kale, stemmed and chopped
1 cup (250 milliliters) canned garbanzo beans, rinsed in cold water
1/2 cup (125 milliliters) dried small pasta such as orecchiette or small macaroni
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

1. Rinse lentils and place in a medium saucepan, covered with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Rinse lentils in a fine-mesh colander under cold water, and then rinse again. Drain and set aside.

2. Place olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add pancetta or bacon if using and gently brown, about 3 minutes. Add diced vegetables and garlic. Sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Adjust heat so vegetables do not brown.

3.  Add stock, tomatoes, lentils, rosemary, oregano, parsley, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook until lentils are tender, about an hour. Add stock.

4.  Up to a day in advance, cook dried pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and set aside.

5.  Add kale to soup. When it has wilted and is soft, about 10 minutes, add garbanzo beans and reserved pasta. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and additional herbs if needed. Ladle into soup bowls and top with grated Parmesan.

About Molesini Wine Club

This recipe was developed for Molesini Wine Club to be included in virtual tasting notes with wine shipments. Molesini Wine Club, based out of Cortona, Tuscany, features Italian wines that are otherwise unavailable outside of Europe. Marco and Paolo Molesini work closely with over 1,000 producers from across the country to ensure they are procuring the top labels from small producers making the finest boutique wines. Explore with them as they lead you through Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily, and many lesser-known wine regions of their country. Members can customize shipments, decide on a tier that fits their palate best, and enjoy exclusive access to the most stunning wines of Italy. As a member of the Molesini Wine Club means becoming part of the Molesini family and we invite you to join us for this experience. For more information, please visit the Molesini Wine Club website.